In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Layover
Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Rating:  3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Flynn: At first we were almost strangers. But ever since I moved to New York, Amos was the one person I could count on. And together we were there for Poppy. (I mean, what kind of parents leave their kid to be raised by a nanny?) I just didn’t expect to fall for him—and I never expected him to leave us.

Amos: I thought I was the only one who felt it. I told myself it was because we were spending so much time together—taking care of Poppy and all. But that night, I could tell she felt it, too. And I freaked out—you’re not supposed to fall for your stepsister. So I ran away to boarding school. I should have told her why I was leaving, but every time I tried, it felt like a lie.

One missed flight was about to change their lives forever….

I must admit, I was sucked in by the cover and synopsis. I am always up for a good forbidden romance type of thing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a lot more to this story than I anticipated.

• Pro: At its heart, this is a sibling story, and I really enjoyed watching all three of them interacting together. I especially liked seeing the older siblings dote on their little sister, because she really needed to shown she was special. 
• Pro: Poppy, the youngest sibling, just lit up the page. She had such a precious, youthful exuberance, and she was in a league all her own. I just imagine fast forwarding 10 years to where she is an "it" girl, because she is finally appreciated for her off-the-norm tastes. 
• Con: This story features those not present YA parents, that I am not a fan of. 
• Pro: BUT, I was glad with the way things played out, because we did get evidence that these parents did actually love their children. I was really proud of some of the decisions they made towards the end, and they were sort of able to redeemed themselves a little.  
• Pro: I grew up in NYC, but I really need to go there as a tourist, because I want to visit the whisper bench in Central Park. How do I not know about these things?





• Con: The middle, the actual layover part of this book, was where my feelings became a little muddled. There seemed to be a lot of things going on during the layover portion of the book that did not really move the story forward. I wish the focus had stayed on the feelings between Amos and Flynn and the siblings. 
• Pro: However, the beginning and ending of this book were great. In fact, the ending was really strong, and it left me completely satisfied.   
• Pro: I thought the story flowed well. I was a fan of the three POVs, and liked that they were kept short and we constantly flipped from one to the other. The rapid changes kept me in the moment while allowing me to get input from each character. 

Overall: This story was really complicated and so were my feelings about it. There was enough there to keep me reading and wanting to find out what happened next,  but it didn't quite have the impact I was hoping for.

As You Wish
Chelsea Sedoti
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating:  3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

In the sandy Mojave Desert, Madison is a small town on the road between nothing and nowhere. But Eldon wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, because in Madison, everyone gets one wish—and that wish always comes true.

Some people wish for money, some people wish for love, but Eldon has seen how wishes have broken the people around him. And with the lives of his family and friends in chaos, he’s left with more questions than answers. Can he make their lives better? How can he be happy if the people around him aren’t? And what hope is there for any of them if happiness isn’t an achievable dream? Doubts build, leading Eldon to a more outlandish and scary thought: maybe you can’t wish for happiness…maybe, just maybe, you have to make it for yourself.

I love books with magical realism and was really intrigued by this premise. I was curious to see where Sedoti would go with this idea, and while I was not disappointed, I was not blown away either.

• Pro: I was immediately pulled in this story. I thought Eldon had a great voice, which was perfect for this story, and I liked being in his head. 
• Con:  I don't exactly know why, but the middle of the book seemed to drag a little. Maybe the book was too long?
• Pro: I was really surprised and pleased with the ending. 
• Pro: This wish was probably the biggest decision Eldon ever had to make, and it was important that he struggled with it, because it was about more than the wish. This was him making a grown up choice and marking that passage from childhood to adulthood. Eldon's immaturity was addressed in many different ways, and I did think that he grew some during the story. He had a long ways to go, but he was slowly making progress.  
• Pro: Ebba! I adored all the things I learned about Eldon's sister and wished with my whole heart that we could have gotten to know her better. 
• Pro: The Wish Histories were fabulous! It was an interesting way for us to examine the cause and effect related to other people's wishes. I found these passages very insightful, and they left me really contemplating the saying, "be careful what you wish for". 
• Pro:I did find myself feeling quite a bit of sympathy towards Eldon, when his life was so negatively impacted by the wishes. He lost his social status, athletic status, and even more due to wishes. I could totally understand his reluctance to embrace his wish.
• Pro: There are some really touching moments shared between Eldon and his family and friends. 

Overall: I enjoyed being a part of Eldon's journey as he struggled with how to use his wish. This concept was intriguing and left me with a lots of things to consider.

Poison's Cage
Breeana Shields
Series: Poison's Kiss
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A single kiss could kill. A single secret could save the kingdom.

Iyla and Marinda have killed many men together: Iyla as the seductress, Marinda as the final, poisonous kiss. Now they understand who the real enemy is—the Snake King—and together they can take him down. Both girls have felt as though they were living a lie in the past, so moving into the King's palace and pretending to serve him isn't as difficult as it sounds. But when you're a spy, even secrets between friends are dangerous. And each girl has something—or someone—to lose. Does every secret, every lie, bring them closer to the truth or . . . to a trap?

I was a big fan of Poison's Kiss and was eager to see how the series ended. I was extremely happy with this sequel and almost wish it was not the end.

• Pro: In my review for Poison's Kiss, I stated that I wanted more of the Iyla-Miranda friendship in this book, and you know what? Shields delivered. I loved getting to the root of their relationship and watching each of them make sacrifices for the other. 
• Pro: Shields gave us so much more of the folklore in this book. We learn more of the origin story and I found it all quite fascinating. 
• Pro: We got more of the beautiful writing I admired so much in the first book as we delved further into this world. 
• Pro: Good things finally happen for Iyla. I don't want to say too much, but the fates finally did her a solid, and I was simply overjoyed that Shields gave Iyla a little happiness. 
• Pro: So many ends were tied up quite nicely. I am a closure-ho, so you know I was loving all the answers I got, and let me tell you, there were some fantastic reveals. 
• Pro: This book was much more emotional for me than Poison's Kiss. Some many good, bad, and in-between things happen in this book, and as I was celebrating some amazing beginnings, I was mourning some heartbreaking endings. 
• Pro: I just want to take this time to give Breeana Shields a standing ovation for that ending. She may have broke my heart, but she more of less put it back together with that conclusion. I am getting chills just thinking about it. 

A round of applause for that ending!!!

Overall: A beautiful, emotional, and satisfying ending, which gave me closure and left me drying some happy tears. 

**I would like to thank the publishers for the advanced copies of these books.

Have you read any of these books?

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